It’s not fair, I worked so hard.
It was March 1991. I was 2 months away from graduating High School, trying to scrape together whatever scholarships I could.
And I had just received word that I didn’t get a scholarship I’d been banking on (I came in 2nd, which made me feel worse than if I’d come in 20th).
Up to that point, working hard had created the results I wanted.
But working hard isn’t always enough.
Sometimes it’s just not in the cards.
Other times someone else works even harder.
And also: you might work hard on the wrong things.
I later found out that my competitor asked to see past participants’ winning compositions, giving her a leg up.
Some people would say that’s unfair (I certainly thought so at the time).
But what she did was smart.
And the truth is, I could have done the same thing. It’s just that I didn’t think of it.
The work-hard-to-succeed myth is strong within our culture.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work hard (you should!).
What that means is it’s up to you to ensure you’re working on the right things while acknowledging that’s not always enough. Nor is it the true measure of your success.
Which is precisely what Episode #77 of the Life & Law Podcast is all about. Join me >>>here for an honest discussion about why working hard isn’t enough (and what IS).
It took me a while to see the lesson in that experience, but I (eventually) learned a valuable one from it…
Never be shy about asking for what I need to be and do my best.
XO,
Heather
